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Political Science Canadian

Identities and Interests

Race, Ethnicity, and Affinity Voting

by (author) Randy Besco

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2019
Category
Canadian, Elections, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774838924
    Publish Date
    Sep 2019
    List Price
    $89.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774838931
    Publish Date
    Mar 2020
    List Price
    $32.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774838955
    Publish Date
    Sep 2019
    List Price
    $125.00

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Description

Identities and Interests offers an entirely new perspective on the role of racial and ethnic identities in Canadian elections. Using a series of experiments, as well as candidate and census data, Randy Besco demonstrates that self-identification matters far more than self-interest, ideology, or policy. The largest minority groups – Chinese and South Asian Canadians – tend to support candidates of their own ethnicity. Yet inter-minority affinity voting also reveals the potential for “rainbow coalitions” and how minorities themselves think in terms of a white/non-white divide. Besco’s innovative work has major implications for social movements, issue opinions, fundraising, and political leadership races.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Randy Besco is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto. His research has been published in Party Politics and the Canadian Journal of Political Science.